Jedi Apprentice #15 - The Death of Hope
by Jude Watson

Published by Scholastic

Scott's Rating:   3.5 out of 4

---

In the previous Jedi Apprentice book, Qui-Gon had just expressed his love for the Jedi Tahl. It looked as if they were to be married. However, after being double crossed at a secret meeting, Tahl is kidnapped by the Absolutes led by Balog. She is transported to a secret location and Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon go on a frantic race to find her. But can Qui-Gon keep his emotions in check and honor his duties as a Jedi?

---

Scott:

    This story covers an interesting topic - Jedi falling in love. If you think about it, these people are raised from children to adults together. You would think some of them would inevitably fall in love with each other, despite it being taboo. That's exactly what happens between Tahl and Qui-Gon. It's a sweet story with a tragic ending. Watson has some nice flashbacks to Qui-Gon and Tahl's childhood that helps add dimension to the characters and make the final results even more emotional. (It's fun to see Qui-Gon as a child.) The fact that Qui-Gon still has responsibilities for Obi-Wan adds an interesting complication to this love story. The ending sets up an interesting and intense story for #16.

---

Scott:

    I wish more time would have been spent on the love story. I think several books could have been written about it, yet everything is resolved by the end. I think there was more to explore there and it's the only reason I marked this book down. I would have also liked to have seen more time spent on Qui-Gon's childhood. That should be an interesting time period. Maybe it will happen in future books.

---

Scott:

    The Absolutes murder some miners and their children. It's probably one of the more intense scenes in the Jedi Apprentice series.

---